Gas maker and combustion apparatus.



' B. E. HADLEY.

GAS MAKER AND COMBUSTION APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NOV-Z7, IBIB.

1 ,300,23(), 7 Patented Apr. 8, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVENTOR. 39ft A By % ATTORNEY.

B; E. HADLEY. GAS MAKER AND-COMBUSTION APPARATUS. -APPLIOATION FILED NOV.ZT, I918.

1 ,30Q,230. Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

III/1% I i 5 I ATTORNEY.

BERT E. HADLEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

GAS MAKER. AND COMBUSTION APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

Application filed November 27, 1918. Serial Iio. 264,438.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BERT E. HADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gas Maker and Combustion Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to improvements in a gas maker and combustion apparatus for stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, and the like, and particularly pertains to that type thereof in which a hydrocarbon fuel is delivered to a retort and discharged therefrom in the form of vapors through a conduit leading from the retort in such manner that on ignition flames will be directed against the retort to maintain a generating action.

It is the object of this invention to provide a device of the above character in which substantially complete or perfect circulation of the fluid fuel may be maintained through the retort and conduit to reduce the formation of carbon deposits in the apparatus and especially in the conduit, and also to provide means for collecting such carbon deposits and heavy residue as may accumulate in the device and thereby reduce. the possibility of clogging of the burner or' discharge orifice to a minimum.

Another object is to provide means for radiating heat throughout the interior of the apparatus to effect a thorough and rapid vaporization of the hydrocarbon fuel by which the device is rendered particularly serviceable in burning the heavier hydrocarbons and especially kerosene.

A further object is to provide a construction whereby oxidizing of the discharge orifice and the resultant clogging thereof will be largely obviated embodying means whereby the flames will not be formed directly at the margin of the .discharge orifice but. at a point slightly remote therefrom.

Further objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which; t

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a view of same as seen in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view and section on a reduced scale as seen on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away.

More specifically 5 indicates a bowl-shaped container forming a retort to the interior of which hydrocarbon fuel isdelivered either by gravlty flow or under pressure through'a feed pipe 6 connecting preferably with the lower portion of the retort and leading from any suitable source of supply through a control valve not here shown.

The retort is entirely inclosed andhas a top wall 7 the upper face of which is tapered upwardly from its edges toward its center to form a slightly conical flame deflecting surface 8 and against which flames are impinged as will later appear to heat the contents of the retort. As a means for rapidly and effectively radiating heat throughout the inter'ior of the retort a series of dependent heat radiants 9 are formed on the under side of the top wall and extend to within a short 1 distance of the side and bottom walls of the retort. i r

A conduit 10 leads upwardly from the upper portion of the retort and opens to the interior thereof preferably through the top wall adjacent to its outer edge. This conduit is arched over the top wall and spaced therefrom and is turned downwardly at the opposite side of the retort with its other terminus opening to the interior of the retort adjacent to the bottom portion thereof to afford a means for subsantially perfect circulation of the fluid fuel. At a point centrally of the arched portion of the conduit a recess 11 is formed on its under side by a conical Wall 12 extending upwardly into the interior of the conduit. The upper or apex portion of the conical wall terminates in spaced relation tothe upper wall of the conduit and formed in its apex is a downwardly opening discharge orifice 13 through which thefluid fuel may be directed toward the top wall of the retort. The discharge orifice is thus arranged above the bottom wall of the conduit and is thereby less liable to become clogged by accumulations of carbon or sediment in the conduit. The discharge orifice being recessed prevents combustion taking place immediately at the mouth of the orifice because sufiiclent air to support combustion can not mix with the vapors discharged from the orifice until the vapors are projected beyond the rim of said recess. This prevents oxidization of the metal at the mouth of the orifice to a large degree. A plug 14 isscrewed in the upper wall of the conduit directly over the conical wall and provides means of access to the interior of the conduit for cleaning purposes.

Formed in the lower portion of the intake end of the conduit is a series of baflies 15 and 16 arranged in staggered relation on the outer and inner .portions of the conduit walls respectively serving as deflectors; the

inner set of bafilesalso acting as heat radiants to further heat the vapors on entering the conduit. Arranged on the bottom wall of the arched portion of the conduit is a series of upturned ri-flles 17 disposed between the baflies and the conical wall 12, the riffles gradually increasing in height progressively from the lowermost riflie to the uppermost to position the tips of the rifilcs in' different stratas of the vapors passed thereover to more effectively heat the vapors. A series of pockets are formed between the r fe fies which serve to catch and collect such particles of carbon and residue as are carried into the conduit and which gravitate to the bottom of the latter, the riffles thus also preventing particles of carbon from being carried to the discharge orifice- As duit is most subjected to the action of flames. This increased wall thickness is tapered from its inner edge to deflect flames directedthereagainst.

A generating pan isformed on the lower portion of the retort and consists of an an- 'nular channel encircling the retort to receive alcohol or other heating elements which on being ignited serves to initially generate vapors in the retort.

In the operation of the invention the liq- .uid fuel is delivered to the retort and the latter subjected to such heat as to effect initial generation of a portion of the fuel into vapors which pass upward through the intake end of the conduit as indicated by the arrow at filling the conduit throughout. A portion of this volume of vap'ors is discharged through the orifice 13 under the pressure setup in the retort and after mixing with air are ignited, the flames being projected downwardly upon the flame spreading surface of the retort top wall and thereby highly heating the latter and the dependent radiants so as to continue the generating action. The discharge orifice is spaced such distance from the retort that the vapors discharged therethrough will be thoroughly mixed with air to form a highly combustible mixture which on being ignited burns with an intensely hot flame.

Within the retort the vapors immediately beneath the top wall and in the intake portion of the conduit will be heated to a higher -temperature than those in the lower portion conduit of such portions of the vapors as are not discharged through the orifice 13. This circulation is insured by reason of the intake end of the conduit being positioned above the return end thereof and because of the vapors being heated at theintake end of the'conduit to a temperature higher than that at the return end, and is important in that the formation of carbon in the conduit is reduced to a minimum and such carbon asis formed is revented from clogging or choking the cons of such carbon as is formed and deposited in the apparatus takes place in the intake portion of the conduit it is collected in the riflles from which it is removed through the plugged opening at the upper end of the conduit as occasion may require.

Continuous circulation of the vapors is further facilitated by reason of the intake end of the conduit being restricted by the bafiles, which also serve as radiants to maintain the vapors entering the conduit at a higher temperature than those return ing into the retort.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention it is obvious that the various details of construction are subject to modification and such may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas maker and combustion apparatus, a retort, a conduit connected at one end to the upper portion of said retort and at its other end to the lower portion of the retort with the intermediate portion of said conduit extending over the retort and spaced therefrom, said intermediate portion of said conduit being formed with a downwardly opening discharge orifice, and means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of said retort.

2. In a gas maker and combustion apparatus, a retort, an arched conduit connected at its ends to said retort and extending thereover, said conduit formed with a discharge orifice opening toward said retort, and a series of carbon traps formed in said conduit between one of its ends and said discharge orifice.

uit. As the major portionv over the latter having a discharge orifice on 3. In a gas maker and combustion appa- I ratus, a retort, an arched conduit connected at its ends to said retort and extending its under side opening toward said retort a series of baflies in said conduit, and a serles of carbon collectmgfnfiies formed in sald conduit between said baifles and the dischar e orifice.

4. n a gas maker and combustion apparatus, a retort having a top wall, a series of heat radiants on the under side of said top wall, and a conduit connected at one end to the upper portion of said retort and at its other end to the lower portion of said retort whereby a circulation of vapors may be effected throughout the interior of said retort and around said radiants.

5. A gas maker and combustlon apparatus comprising a retort having a top wall, a

- flame spreader on the top wall, heat radiants Y dependmg from the under side of the top wall, and a conduit connecting at one. end to the upper portion of said retort extending over and spaced from the top wall and flame spreader and connected at its opposite end to the lower portion of said retort, said conduit formed with a recessed discharge orifice opening downward toward said flame spreader.

6. A gas maker and combustion apparatus comprising a retort having a top wall forming a flame spreader, heat radiants de ending from the under side of said top wal into the interior of said retort, a conduit connected at one end to the upper portion of said retort and extending thereover with its other end connected to-the lower portion of said retort, said conduit formed with a recessed discharge orifice on its under side, carbon collecting riflies in said conduit adj acent to said discharge orifice, and baffles ex-' tending into said conduit forming deflectors and heat radiants.

BERT E. HADLEY. 

